Case Study

Visit Milwaukee x Leroy Butler AI Experience

Objetive

Visit Milwaukee set out to redefine the way visitors explore and experience the city by introducing an innovative, AI-powered Augmented Reality (AR) assistant — brought to life in the charismatic persona of local legend Leroy Butler. The goal was to offer tourists a fun, engaging, and instantly accessible guide who could answer real-time questions about hotels, dining spots, upcoming events, hidden gems, and much more — all through an immersive, conversational Web AR interface.

Solution

To bring this vision to life, Visit Milwaukee partnered with August Allen AR to develop a cutting-edge WebAR experience featuring a lifelike 3D avatar of Leroy Butler, powered by conversational AI. Users simply point their phone at a poster, kiosk, or QR code around the city and — poof! — Leroy appears in AR, ready to chat. The experience blends Milwaukee’s vibrant spirit with smart technology, allowing visitors to ask natural-language questions and receive personalized, location-aware recommendations — as if they had a local friend guiding them through town.

Results

Since its launch, the Leroy Butler AR Assistant has become a beloved ambassador for Milwaukee tourism. With over 5,000+ interactions in the first three months, users have praised the experience for its charm, usefulness, and seamless tech. Hotels reported higher guest satisfaction, restaurants saw increased foot traffic from AR-driven recommendations, and event attendance spiked thanks to real-time alerts delivered by “Leroy.”

The project didn’t just enhance visitor experience — it turned Milwaukee into a showcase city for AI + AR tourism innovation. Scan a QRc. Say hi to Leroy. Let Milwaukee surprise you.

Chek it out!